An annual vintage yacht regatta is held at the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, Rhode Island. Most of the regatta participants are classic Herreshoff designs built in our town in the glory days of the storied Herreshoff Mfg. Company. Captain Nat Herreshoff was and is a legendary yacht designer and was light years ahead of his time. The Friday night feeder race from Newport, Rhode Island was followed by a display of classic and storied boats on the museum waterfront.
My Zeiss Super Ikonta was loaded with Ilford FP4, making an appropriate tool for capturing the glorious vessels. My Zeiss Super Ikonta 533/16 model was CLA’d recently. It is rangefinder coupled (and accurate) with a working but inaccurate light meter. There is a positive frame stop for film winding, a welcome feature. Despite the CLA the shutter speeds are randomly slow so compensation is required (a stop, maybe two). Another niggle is frame overlap, apparently a function of the camera being designed for thicker emulsions and/or paper. I have read of a few workarounds (winding on extra paper for instance). Here is a discussion link: https://www.flickr.com/groups/574362@N21/discuss/72157607529307666/
The Zeiss 2.8 Tessar lens is full of character and sharp but not overly so. The folded camera slips easily into a very small camera bag. The camera is all about precision build.
FP4 is a wonderful and consistent film, and the images were developed in Rodinal using the semi-stand method recommended by Simon King on this site, leading to pronounced grain. This camera comes highly recommended for light carry
Here are five images from that day, a cloudy one with looming rain.
For the fleet’s “filler race” a run down Narragansett Bay was used, led by Weatherly, the 1962 America’s Cup winner (not a Herreshoff design). On days two and three she was raced against Nefertiti (not a Herreshoff design), another 1962 American entrant vanquished in the trials by Weatherly. Dorade (not a Herreshoff design) lies beside her.
This the bow of Gamecock, an impeccably restored boat. I spent some time astride her listening to the owner’s description of her history and learning about her restoration. She took first place in class in the feeder race but fell back over the next two days. Her crew had uniforms and at dockside, she wore a flag bearing her name. She is definitely a big boy toy.
I received a second roll shot that day. It was made using Kodak Portra using Sunny 16 at 200. Some of the images are repetitive, but the camera delivers well using color film. The film overlap issue is evident from these images. In the prior ones, I cropped down.
I hope you enjoyed this capture of sailing’s memory lane. I can be found sailing Narragansett Bay aboard my Alerion 28 sailboat “Victoria”, and on my blog also bearing my late daughter’s name here: victoriaslight.blog
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Bob Janes on 10 Frames of Vintage Sailboats with a Zeiss Super Ikonta 533/16 – by LA Sousa
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
I found the Super Ikonta to be a very practical camera, although the focus on my (well actually my father's) copy is a bit stiff.
Lovely pictures, the colour is very good to see, although I'm not sure my uncoated Tessar from before the war would fare so well.
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Graham Spinks on 10 Frames of Vintage Sailboats with a Zeiss Super Ikonta 533/16 – by LA Sousa
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Kurt Ingham on 10 Frames of Vintage Sailboats with a Zeiss Super Ikonta 533/16 – by LA Sousa
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Alasdair Mackintosh on 10 Frames of Vintage Sailboats with a Zeiss Super Ikonta 533/16 – by LA Sousa
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
D Evan Bedford on 10 Frames of Vintage Sailboats with a Zeiss Super Ikonta 533/16 – by LA Sousa
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
Comment posted: 22/10/2022
David Hill on 10 Frames of Vintage Sailboats with a Zeiss Super Ikonta 533/16 – by LA Sousa
Comment posted: 23/10/2022
I feel obliged to point out that it’s disingenuous to say “An annual Herreshoff vintage yacht regatta is held in Bristol for owners of classic Herreshoff wooden boats.” The “Herreshoff” in the title is the regatta host, not a limitation.
Herreshoff boats (your Alerion design among them) are unimpeachable classics, but this race includes classic yachts from many designers’ boards. Of those you mention, only Gamecock is a Herreshoff design (and distinctively so!) Weatherly is a Philip Rhodes 12-meter and Americas Cup winner. Dorade is a legendary Olin Stephens boat. Nefertiti another 12-meter, by Ted Hood.
I envy you the opportunity. Thank you for sharing your camera and photographs and experiences with these beautiful boats.
Comment posted: 23/10/2022
David Hill on 10 Frames of Vintage Sailboats with a Zeiss Super Ikonta 533/16 – by LA Sousa
Comment posted: 24/10/2022
My remark stands: what gorgeous boats and a wonderful opportunity with a camera.
Comment posted: 24/10/2022
Mads Christensen on 10 Frames of Vintage Sailboats with a Zeiss Super Ikonta 533/16 – by LA Sousa
Comment posted: 26/10/2022
Excellent shots of mighty fine boats with a classic camera. Thanks for sharing.
Comment posted: 26/10/2022
Dave Roberts on 10 Frames of Vintage Sailboats with a Zeiss Super Ikonta 533/16 – by LA Sousa
Comment posted: 27/10/2022
Comment posted: 27/10/2022
Jay Dann Walker in Melbourne on 10 Frames of Vintage Sailboats with a Zeiss Super Ikonta 533/16 – by LA Sousa
Comment posted: 26/11/2022
Obviously you know your boats and quality cameras. I used the same model Ikonta for some years as a teenager in Canada - my late uncle had one he bought new before the Second World War, so it had the uncoated lens. With Verichrome Pan film and a light Y filter it produced many fine images, particularly landscapes which showed a unique 'glow' I attributed to those prewar uncoated Zeiss Tessars.
My negatives from that period (1961-1966) were lost for many years, but recently while cleaning out our family home prior to its sale my sister in law came across a cardboard box of most of those, put away in larger boxes of old clothes which stayed undisturbed for half a century or longer. Next year I will be traveling back to Canada to collect them, along with original 616 film negatives and contact prints of myself as a baby, also mislaid in two suitcases of clothing. Amazing that these have survived so long (according to 'sis' all the negatives look to be still very printable with no silvering or deterioration) - so next year I hope to be printing the best of them in as big enlargements as I can from those ancient emulsions.
To return to your article, many thanks for having taken the time to share so much good information about not only a unique 6x6 camera, but also boating in your part of the USA. Obviously you know your photography and also your boats. I grew up on the Atlantic coast of Canada, so I'm greatly interested in all these topics and I foufindnd your writing and photos to be most instructive. Good work, well done!
Best regards from Dann in Melbourne
Comment posted: 26/11/2022
KB on 10 Frames of Vintage Sailboats with a Zeiss Super Ikonta 533/16 – by LA Sousa
Comment posted: 29/06/2023
Comment posted: 29/06/2023